PARAGUAY, Maria Luz Fleitas/org. On Sunday, the 18th, the fourth Sunday of Lent, Father Bernardo Parra, from Chile, the new novice master who celebrated the Holy Mass, made a parallel between the second reading of the book of Chronicles (36:14-16, 19-23) and Father Kentenich’s election as Prophet. Nineteen novices of the Schoenstatt Fathers also participated from: Portugal, the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay.
“In every age, God chooses people who embody His mercy; they are the prophets, and the door that he opens for us. Father Kentenich is a prophet for us, in an original way through the covenant of love with the most Holy Virgin, it re-enacts that first covenant of love of God with us that we realized in Baptism,” he said.
“Like the Blessed Mother’s gigantic embrace”
Covenant day in the Shrine Tupãrenda was a heavenly day. The atmosphere of joy and welcome could be felt upon entering the grounds; it was the Blessed Mother’s gigantic embrace. The celebration in Holy Mary of the Trinity Church animated the covenant and mission spirit even more, since the Founder and Father’s desire that a church be erected close to Shrine of our Blessed Mother was materialized. The Schoenstatt Family of Paraguay’s great conquest was this church’s construction project. Today, thanks to the spiritual and material contributions, it is completely roofed; it has a floor, and a plan for acquiring the pews has been launched.
Father Bernardo stressed the main characteristics of the season of Lent.
It is a suitable time to again look at the cross in silence, although we have been unfaithful many times. He, who is on the cross, saves us; it is time to look at the beaten and bloody Christ, and it is also a time to look at our own crosses that can be named, leading us on the road of holiness when we know how to bear them. It is time for reconciliation, time of Eucharist. It is the Eucharist, which again unites to us heart to heart with Christ, who lives in our midst.
This time is also an anticipation of the Easter Vigil, where light is the symbol. During the Easter Vigil, the light is shared, propagated little by little from the (Easter) candle. We received that light in Baptism, when our parents assumed the responsibility that the light would increase day by day; and the fact that we are at this Eucharist means that our parents accomplished that mission.
It is time for renewal; it is time to again center ourselves on that light that we received in Baptism, and in our covenant of love with the Blessed Mother. Something has to change within us so that our light will shine even more. Those of us who are sheltered in the Shrine have a great advantage, because through the covenant of love with the Blessed Mother, we can educate ourselves so that this can become a reality, so that the light will be transformed into works through the concrete road that God gave us in Schoenstatt, where we go from Marian devotion to a Marian attitude.
In conclusion, there was a procession to the Shrine, and the Pilgrimage Prayer for 2014 was prayed, the capital of grace was burned, and the Covenant of Love with the Mother Thrice Admirable of Schoenstatt was renewed.
Celina M. Garza, San Antonio,TX: English translation – M.P. Janknegt: English edit
